Measures

OHCHR’s country offices in Bolivia, Colombia, Russia and Uganda were part of UN Inter-Agency Groups, working on gender issues in support of national and local authorities, the judiciary and civil society to develop projects proposals, policies and strategies, on combating sexual and gender-based violence.OHCHR’s country office in Guatemala assisted State institutions and, in coordination with the Interagency Group on Women’s Rights, provided technical advice to State officials for the elaboration of policies based on international and national human rights standards in order to accelerate and strengthen the implementation of the Law against femicide and other forms of violence. Hide

As part of a One-UN project on violence against women, UNODC held a training course in Viet Nam to build the capacity of law enforcement officers to effectively deal with cases of domestic violence. This first train-the-trainers session focused on gender equality principles, common characteristics of domestic violence and best practices in dealing with victims, witnesses and perpetrators. Hide

UNODC convened an Intergovernmental Expert Group Meeting (IEGM) to review and update the Model Strategies and Practical Measures on the Elimination of Violence against Women in the Field of Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, adopted by the General Assembly with its resolution 52/86 in 1997. The IEGM was held in Bangkok, Thailand in March 2009. Hide

Analysis and publications have been completed on the basis of the WHO Multi-country study on women's health and domestic violence, such as on risk and protective factors for intimate partner violence across 15 settings, partner violence and reproductive health (associations with abortion, miscarriage and unintended pregnancy). Local teams in Kiribati and Solomon Islands, supported by AUSAID and others, completed surveys, using WHO methods and support, and they are using the results for policy and programmatic responses. Hide

In a meeting held by WHO in March 2009 the implementation and evaluation of health sector interventions was reviewed and an outline for guidance to the health sector, with a focus on resource poor settings, was developed. Hide

WHO chaired the Scientific Committee for the 2009 Sexual Violence Research Initiative Forum which brought together almost 200 researchers and others from 78 countries to address: prevention, health response, including mental health, HIV and sexual violence, and sexual violence in conflict. Hide

WFP has been actively involved in joint UN initiatives to deliver services to victims of gender-based violence. WFP provides food assistance for medical rehabilitation of victims and, through income-generating activities, supports the victims/survivors to become economically independent. Hide

WFP used International Women’s Day 2009 as an opportunity to raise awareness and plan activities to prevent gender-based violence including through a film screening, panel discussions and workshop in Burkina Faso; and a declaration signed by WFP and partners, as part of the launch of the National Action Plan for Women in Afghanistan, which included a commitment to “Fast track the enactment of the proposed law to combat violence against women”.In Chad, WFP has become part of a coordinated response addressing issues related to the collection of firewood by the beneficiaries in the camp. In response to sexual exploitation and abuse of women who venture outside of the camp for firewood, WFP provided women with fuel efficient stoves, increased access to firewood and improved roads through food for work programmes. Hide

In Liberia, under the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) for Liberia 2008-2012, the WFP Country Office is midway through the first stage of a UN Joint Programme to reduce SBGV. Hide

In Rwanda, WFP supports the national response in fighting GBV through the One UN framework. WFP is active in the UN Gender Task Force and the National Gender Cluster, co-chaired by the Minister, in the Prime Minister's Office, in Charge of Gender and Family promotion (MIGEPROF) and the UK Department for International Development (DFID), which work to harmonize and coordinate responses to sexual and gender-based violence. Hide